By
Ron Thomas
Why
then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to
deceit; they refuse to return (8:5, ESV).
Why do people wander away from the Lord,
Jeremiah asked. Before they wander, these same people allow themselves to
wonder about what’s on the other side, they wonder if the grass is greener over
there. As they wonder, they begin to wander because they are intrigued by what
they see, curious one might say. With this curiosity, they want to try what
others are doing. There are some who look at their economic circumstances and
see those on the other side are not struggling or suffering like those on this side.
In that which they try they soon conclude that “It’s not that bad” never
realizing that it will soon become overly bad, deadly bad (if you will).
Such things like these allow them to think
“they all can’t be wrong” so they go over, sometimes never to return. They stay
there by holding fast to deceit; they have convinced themselves 1) God does not
exist, 2) God does not care, 3) God doesn’t see me in the sheer mass of
humanity, 4) God won’t judge me because He knows my heart, 5) I have time to
get things turned around, 6) look how prosperous they are, the Lord must have
blessed them, 7) they don’t struggle like I do with my feelings, I’ll go where
I’m accepted. On and on justifications are offered.
When Jeremiah preached the Lord’s message,
calling upon the people to repent or the Lord’s wrath will be experienced, the
people concluded that Jeremiah was a burden to them and to be dismissed. What
makes people do this? Evidence can be presented, and solid reasons given to
move people in the Lord’s direction, but the Lord’s reasons are rejected
because the people would rather stay put right where they are. Since they have
enjoyed some benefits for their wandering, why change! Perhaps there are
several reasons people use to justify their actions (as mentioned above);
ultimately, however, it boils down to “I want to stay here; this is the place
with which I am comfortable and change I do not take too easily, especially if
it’s going to require me to give up what makes me happy, satisfied, and prosperous.
I’ll just stay where I am and you go where you want to go,” they say.
They say this, not because they have
counter evidence that warrants their place of residence, but they say this
because moving is unpleasant. They say this, as Jeremiah wrote, because they
know not the Lord (8:7). They may hear the Lord and know the words that have
been preached / spoken, but the words found no home in the heart of each hearer
“who knows not the Lord.” The words came from the mouth of the Lord, but the
people put up a wall and refused to let them come in. These same people consider
themselves wise and, thus, have no need for the Lord. It’s a lot like those who
turn away from the Lord’s church, not knowing they have turned away from the
Lord Himself. They regard their own wisdom more than they do the Lord’s. They
will deny this, but the fruit of their wisdom is in the actions of their feet.
So, what can we learn from this? When Paul
wrote to the church at Colosse, he exhorted them Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms
[and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God
(3:16, ASV). Notice: the word of Christ is to dwell in one richly, that is, the
word of the Lord is to have a place in one’s heart (mind). The word that dwells
there is one that nourishes and protects. Secondly, equally important, the word
that dwells within teaches us to sing the Lord’s praise because we know the
Lord.
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